Tilt boards, also called balance boards, are devices that tilt when you stand on them and make you consciously maintain your balance. They can be used to improve your body awareness and reduce your chance of injury, or help you recover from certain forms of injury. You can choose a variety of tilt board exercises that require different levels of skill to perform.
Basics
Tilt boards come in a variety of designs. A wobble board, for instance, is a flat disc mounted on a low half sphere that allows you to tilt and balance in any direction. Another type of tilt board, called a rocker board, consists of a square or round board attached to a half cylinder that only allows you to tilt forward and backward, or alternately, side to side. The angle of tilt on a wobble board or rocker board can vary between roughly 12 and 15 degrees, and the size of a board's main surface can vary between roughly 30 and 40 cm.
Tilt Board Uses
When you use a tilt board, you rely on your ability to track the changing position of the various parts of your body. This ability is known as your sense of proprioception. Proprioception and your sense of balance are closely related, and when you improve proprioception, you reduce your chances of experiencing a balance-related injury. If you sprain your ankle or injure other joints in your lower body, you can also use a tilt board as part of your rehabilitation. In addition, you can use a tilt board to help rehabilitate injuries in your shoulders.
Beginning Exercises
To improve the range of motion in your ankles, you can perform a basic tilt board exercise that requires you to sit on the floor and slowly rotate the board back and forth with your feet. Relatively easy exercises that require you to stand on a tilt board include balancing with the help of a chair, rotating a board while keeping its edge in contact with the floor, balancing without changing position for as long as you can and balancing as long as you can while rotating the board with your feet.
Advanced Exercises
More challenging tilt board exercises include balancing while performing slight knee bends, balancing while rotating your upper body, balancing while performing squats, balancing while throwing a ball against a wall, balancing on one foot and balancing on one foot while performing slight knee bends. You can also increase the difficulty of any tilt board exercise by closing your eyes.
Considerations
To increase your safety, perform your exercises in bare feet and place your tilt board on a cushioned surface such as a mat, rug or low carpet. You can also increase your safety by performing your exercises near a wall, which will allow you to catch yourself if you start to fall. Consult your doctor for information about specific exercises you may include in your routine, as well as the appropriate time to perform these exercises if you're recovering from an injury.
